CORTEZ – The Intermountain League boys basketball trophy has resided in La Jara in three of the past five seasons, with Centauri’s league dominance coming at the expense of Montezuma-Cortez.
Twelve straight losses to Centauri left M-CHS head coach Mike Hall and his players eager to erase six years of frustration against the IML powerhouse.
Despite climbing to No. 3 in the 4A CHSAA Seeding and Selection Index rankings while Centauri sat midpack in 3A, Hall and his Panthers knew a league title meant breaking the Centauri hex.
The Panthers not only snapped the streak Friday night inside a packed Jungle, they did it in style, scoring the first 11 points and never easing up on defense in a 50-32 win. Their defense turned every Centauri possession into a struggle, holding the Falcons to their lowest point total in 23 IML meetings.
On Saturday afternoon, the Panthers routed visiting Alamosa (5-6, 0-2 4A/3A IML) 74-46 to complete the sweep and stay unbeaten.
M-CHS (11-0, 2-0 4A/3A IML) celebrated its first win over Centauri (4-5, 0-1 4A/3A IML) since the Sweet 16 round of the 3A playoffs in 2019, when a pair of Hall’s current assistant coaches – Teagan Whiteskunk and Cordell Baer – suited up.
Junior Trey Hall and sophomore Ah-dae Lang, both early-season candidates for IML Player of the Year, accounted for 41 points, while rebounds and steals from senior Wyatt Oliver, junior Kaleb Schmitt and junior Asher Bennetts told much of the story.
Hall admitted Friday’s win wasn’t the cleanest offensive night, but the Panthers’ full-court pressure created chaos and left Centauri flustered. Up 25-9 at halftime, M-CHS added two Lang 3-pointers in the third quarter to push the lead past 20 points. Centauri never got closer than 15.
“We relied on our discipline,” said Wyatt Oliver of the smothering defense without major foul trouble. “If we see opportunities, we’ll take them. Our guys all know their roles, so we just go out there and do our jobs.”
The win was cathartic for the program, especially its seniors, for whom Centauri was the last league team they had yet to beat.
“We’ve been fighting for this for all four years,” said Oliver. “It was fun to come together as a team and finally pull out a victory.”
Lang added a game-high 27 points in the win over the Mean Moose, while Hall and Bennetts scored 15 and 13, respectively, with Bennetts setting a career high.
M-CHS extended its unbeaten run to double digits, surpassing the 9-0 start of the 2018-19 team that reached the state tournament – a goal the Panthers have set for the next two months. That pursuit has motivated Oliver and his teammates: a chance to seize their first Intermountain League title and make a deep postseason run.
“We’ve been knocked out in the first round of regionals each of the last three years, and that’s a feeling that’s stuck with us – so we know we have to just stay humble,” Oliver said.
M-CHS girls stay stride for stride with defending IML champs
The Panthers girls basketball team knew they’d have to hit the ground running once Intermountain League play began inside the Jungle this past weekend. Facing two of the top three teams from last year’s IML chase meant head coach M.E. Haley would learn a lot about her team in 24 hours.
Even in losses to Centauri (48-33) and Alamosa (51-38), the Panthers (4-5, 0-2 4A/3A IML) showed they’ll be a tough opponent all season. Against Centauri, in a matchup of two young lineups, M-CHS outscored the visitors 14-2 during a run from late in the first quarter until halftime, nearly erasing a 15-0 deficit.
Junior Shoshawna Washburn led a rebounding effort against taller Falcon posts, while sophomore Kyndall Schmitt scored nine points. A 10-0 Centauri run to start the third quarter put M-CHS in another hole, but seniors Sariah Jackson and Kiera Hayes hit 3-pointers to keep the Panthers close. Centauri struggled to pull away from a feisty M-CHS defense, giving Haley’s squad confidence it can compete with any IML power.
Washburn and Jackson each scored seven points Friday, while junior Abigale Baker added four. Jackson led with 10 points Saturday against Alamosa, while Siana Elliott, Hayes and Schmitt each scored six.
M-CHS now prepares for games against former Southwestern League foes Tuesday and Thursday in the Jungle, when Montrose (Jan. 20) and Durango (Jan. 22) renew old rivalries. Both doubleheaders will air on KRTZ 98.7 and 106.3 FM and stream at krtzradio.com.
